Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Sunday acknowledged frustration within the GOP after a string of recent election losses but insisted the RNC is engaging voters.
“I understand being frustrated. Of course, we want to win,” McDaniel told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” after Democrats notched a series of high-stakes victories on Tuesday night, with Democratic candidates and Democratic issues winning big ticket votes.
But, she continued, “I’m proud of what we’re doing, and we’re a turnout machine. We don’t do the messaging; the candidates do that with their pollsters and their campaigns.”
“The RNC builds the road, all the candidates drive on it. You need a good candidate and a good road to get to your destination,” McDaniel added.
One clear signal from Tuesday’s elections was that abortion rights are politically popular, no matter where or when they are on the ballot. Democrats leveraged reproductive rights to rack up big election wins in Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.
McDaniel on Sunday defended Republicans’ positions on abortion restrictions, but said she’s advocated for candidates to keep suburban women in mind when discussing abortion rights policy.
“It’s up to the candidates if they take those suggestions,” she said. “I always say, you know, if I give my husband directions in the car it doesn’t mean he’s going to take them.”
Asked about GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s call for her to resign following Republicans’ underwhelming performance, McDaniel dismissed him as someone “looking for headlines.”
“He can do that. That’s okay. But I will continue to say to everyone we should be taking on Democrats, not each other,” she said.